Scourge's Legacy
by StrawberrySilver
Summary: Gwyn, daughter of the feared and respected leader of Bloodclan, Scourge, knows she's destined for great things. However, "great" doesn't necessarily mean "good". Crow, Venus, Bruce, and Thorn, don't notice, but Gwyn's slowly slipping into the world between right and wrong. But what do you do when everyone you know and love are on different sides of an impending war? T for blood.
1. Chapter 1: Enter a Destiny

**_CHAPTER ONE:_**

_ENTER A DESTINY_

"Misti?"

"Scourge!"

"Is everything alright, darling?"

Misti, a skinny, light gray she-cat with light blue eyes looked at Scourge. Smaller than herself, the black cat with the famed dog-teeth collar gazed at her with a flicker of something in his eye that no one, not even his wayward brother and sister, had seen: love.

She purred softly, touching his nose gently. "Everything's fine."

Scourge's eyes hardened again, putting on the mask he so often wore. "Why are you out here? Get back in the den. The kits are due any moment!" A growl crept along the edge of his voice, weaving in and out of his words, giving them a threatening meaning.

"They aren't coming."

Scourge bristled. "How do you know?"

Misti laughed, undaunted by Scourge's threatening manner that had other cats cowering. "Because I'm a she-cat and I know such things."

Growling, Scourge attempted to herd her back into the alley where Bloodclan lived. Misti laughed again. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Pausing, Scourge looked up. The sky, a blend of pinks, purples, yellows, and oranges of various shades were smeared across the horizon, the sun a ball of fire touching the treeline in the distance. Clouds, stained various hues by the sunset, drifted lazily in the final rays of the setting sun. They sat on a white fence overlooking a small but well-kept garden, the alley some distance away.

When the sun completed it's descent into oblivion and the full moon was rising nonchalantly, Scourge gently guided Misti away from the twoleg-place, and back to the dumpster that served as their den. Misti's swollen belly made the journey slow, but Scourge showed a tenderness that had long since been buried deep down since the time when he was called Tiny (a name he had only told to his mate). Long, skinny tail draped over her shoulders, Scourge led her underneath the stinking dumpster.

Misti sighed contentedly, settling in for a long nap, the bones on her purple collar pressed against the rough concrete. Scourge, who's collar was a shade darker and had twice as many bones, curled against her, and listened to her deep breathing as she drifted into the land of dreams.

He liked to pretend (although he'd never admit it to anyone, not even Misti) that he could hear the heartbeats of the little kits Misti carried inside her belly.

_Hello, little kits. It's a big, scary world out here. You will probably be afraid. But don't worry, you're my kits. No one can harm you. You will be feared by all of Bloodclan, all of the dogs that roam the streets, the soft kittypets with their twolegs, and above all, the forest cats. You will be strong someday. And one of you will lead Bloodclan when I grow too old and tired to hold it together. I'll see you._

And with that final thought, he curled up to sleep.

He was awoken by a yowl of alarm. "SCOURGE! Scourge, the kits!"

Scourge jolted awake, eyes adjusting to the darkness of midnight. Gasping, he went to his mate, who writhed in pain, eyes wide and glassy.

"They're coming," she hissed, closing her eyes in pain. She yowled again.

"Shh, don't worry!" he whispered soothingly. Bone, right on schedule, appeared beside him.

"Scourge, shall I get the prisoner?"

"Yes, yes hurry!"

Bone took off, yowling orders at the other cats. He returned moments later with a terrified cat. A tortoiseshell, she glared at the Bloodclan leader.

Suppressing the terror he felt, Scourge gestured at his mate. "Deliver the kits, Leafwhisker."

The Shadowclan medicine cat stood there, torn between conflicting thoughts.

"If I do, I get to return to my clan?"

Scourge put on a mask of fake hurt. "Of course. We may be savages, be we are honorable." Leafwhisker hesitated a moment longer, but he, too, was an honorable cat, raised in the Clans. _Always help a cat or kit in need._

He got to work quickly, placing a stick in Misti's mouth. Running his paws along her swollen belly, he spoke quietly to the Bloodclan queen.

"When I say push, _push_."

Misti nodded, eyes glassy.

"PUSH!" With a caterwaul, Misty pushed. Her body tensed, and her teeth gripped the stick tightly. A bundle of fur slipped out, wet and small. Completely black save for a gray paw, he was almost a spitting image of Scourge himself.

The second kit slid out. A sand-colored kit, with darker marks on her paws and tail.

"Lick," Leafwhisker ordered, giving him the first kit. Leafwhisker licked the other kit roughly to warm it, then gave it to Misti, who was barely paying attention.

Scourge growled, not liking the tone Leafwhisker used with him. However, he licked the little black kit, setting it by the other one.

A shudder passed through Misti's body, and the third kit slipped out. A light gray like Misti, with white paws and tail. Leafwhisker licked this one, placing it once again by Misti and the others.

The fourth kit soon followed, a tom like the first and third one, but was a ginger color with darker flecs thrown in. Repeating the licking and placing process, Leafwhisker praised Misti.

Misti smiled at Scourge and their kits, three toms and a she-cat.

"Scou-" she began. With an almighty shudder, she bit down on the stick hard.

"Misti? Misti!" Scourge looked at his mate with wide eyes, fearing what was happening next.

She pushed, heaving, taking large gulps of air. Her eyes were bigger than ever before, and she yowled. A bundle of dark gray fur with white markings peeked out. With a yowl, Misti pushed like never before. The kit slipped out, and the tail-width stick, sturdy as it was, snapped in two pieces. Misti screeched in pain, throwing her head back and caterwauling.

On the other side of the town, a ginger tom was playing in his yard. He cocked his ears, hearing the noise. Green eyes sparkling, he went back to his game.

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><p><em>Gwyn, daughter of the feared and respected leader of Bloodclan, Scourge, knows she's destined for great things. However, "great" doesn't necessarily mean "good". Her siblings, Crow, Venus, Bruce, and Thorn, don't notice, but Gwyn's slowly slipping into the limbo world between right and wrong. But what do you do when everyone you know and love are on different sides of an impending war?<em>


	2. Chapter 2: Learning

_**CHAPTER TWO:**_

_LEARNING_

"Mama!" Gwyn wailed, flicking her tail angrily at her youngest brother, Thorn. "Mama, he broke the rules!"

Her mother, Misti, purred. "And what rule did he break?"

Gwyn sniffed, already able to tell that her mother didn't take her seriously. "The rule that says no chickening out!"

"Oh?"

"I did not chicken out!" Thorn, a ginger tom with darker flecks mixed in his fur at random, bristled angrily. "I went straight for the throat!"

"Nuh-uh!" Gwyn, a dark grey she-cat with white marks on her paws, tail, and face, cried. "You tried to avoid my claws instead of attacking me. Plus, I'm the leader of Bloodclan, and you have to let me win!"

Misti glared at her daughter. "Gwyn, that wouldn't be fair. The leader of Bloodclan should have the skills to beat the horrible forest cats, and leave unscathed."

"Yes, Mama," Gwyn mewed weakly.

"Now, run along and play."

Gwyn and Thorn tore across the alley, leaving the dumpster behind them. They didn't slow down until they were a safe distance from their mother.

"Gosh, she's a real fun-wrecker," Thorn commented. "She doesn't know how to play!"

"Nope," Gwyn agreed, "she's hopeless!"

"Hey," Thorn said suddenly, "where'd Venus and Crow get off to?"

Venus was the oldest she-cat in the litter. A tan color with darker marks on her paws, tail, and face, was ferocious. She easily toppled Crow, the oldest, from his throne on occasion. Crow, the exact replica of Scourge save for a grey instead of white paw, couldn't stand it. The two were prone to rematches on a daily basis, leaving Thorn and Gwyn to either play by themselves or with Bruce.

Bruce was the middle kit, and resembled Misti greatly. He was a light grey, with white on his paws and tail. He didn't talk much, but was the biggest kit. He didn't take to the wrestling games Gwyn and Thorn liked, so they often left him out of their games while he went off and did whatever Bruce does during the daytime.

"I dunno," Gwyn answered finally, gazing off into the distance. "Wanna go find 'em?"

"Sure!" cried Thorn, taking off. Gwyn snarled, tearing after him. They skittered around corners, dodged monsters, and hissed at dogs they saw. The dogs knew kittens were not to be trifled with, especially when they were of this particular scent. Any kit from Bloodclan's death was sure to be avenged. It had happened only a few days ago, when Scrap had been killed by a terrier. His mother, Blossom, and father, Jaw, had killed the small terrier, who's name had been Bernie. Along with the rest of Bloodclan, they'd taken out every dog that they saw for the better part of the day. The bitter loss of a pack member still fresh in their minds, the strays didn't bother Thorn and Gwyn.

"Crow!" Thorn yowled, looking for his brother.

"Ve-nus!" cried Gwyn, hoping her sister might appear.

The two kits, exhausted, headed back to the Bloodclan camp. Never had a block seemed like such a distance! Tired as they were, they hoped Crow and Venus would appear to carry them home. Paws dragging on concrete, they didn't notice a mangy dog following them.

His head was held high, nose twitching with the scent of blood. Bernie the terrier, his friend and companion, had been brutally murdered! He _would_ have revenge. With a ferocious snarl that could raise the dead, he launched himself on Gwyn and Thorn. The kits squeaked in surprise. They, being true Bloodclan kits, fought back. But soft kitten paws can't defend against a dog's maw.

"Help!" Gwyn cried, trying to run.

"Please, someone!" wailed Thorn freeing himself and taking off. The dog, distracted, let Gwyn have a bit of wiggle room. She used it, slipping away from the horrible dog teeth. It was one thing to see them on her mother's collar, but quite another to see them covered in saliva in front of her face.

The kits, with renewed energy, bolted towards camp. But kits aren't fast to begin with, and the certainly can't go top speed for very long. The dog caught them again quickly, this time determined to kill them. He lunged, landing on Gwyn. She squealed, attempting to roll away. His jaws went for her throat-

A caterwaul froze the dog in his tracks. The call of a true fighter. He barely had time to register his impending doom when the cat leapt on him. Purple collar flashing, displaying his endless supply of dog teeth, Scourge ripped viciously at the dog. He bit a floppy ear, ripping it clear off. The dog howled in pain and rage, bucking madly to get the black cat off. But Scourge isn't leader of Bloodclan for no reason. He sank his claws into the chocolate eyes of the dog, digging in as hard as he could.

The dog howled again, trying to run. Scourge killed it was a swift slash to the chest with his sharp claws. He dropped down in front of a terrified Gwyn, white paw stained red. He was panting with the exertion from running to his kit's aid more so than the actual battle. For the longest time he said nothing.

"Gwyn," he said at last. "If you can't defend yourself, don't leave camp. I won't always be around to protect you. Consider this you lesson and warning." He strode off, trying not to let her see how shaken he really was.


	3. Chapter 3: Shameful

Gwyn and Thorn were escorted back to camp in shame, Scourge snarling slightly. Cats raised their head to look at them as they passed, but quickly ducked back down. Scourge was feared and respected, not something to stare at. However, when their father had passed, Gwyn and Thorn felt the apprehensive stares of their clanmates watching them curiously.

"Misti," Scourge said, voice low and deadly. "Come here, please." The beautiful she-cat crawled out from underneath the dumpster. She glanced around, surprised to see her mate standing above Gwyn and Thorn, the two kits looking ashamed and frightened.

"What have I told you about letting the kits out of your sight?"

Misti snarled back, hackles raising. "They need to learn on their own!"

"And what exactly was the learning experience in getting mauled by a dog?"

Misti's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Thorn, Gwyn, what have I told you about dogs?"

"To leave them alone, and to stand our ground and call for help if we meet one," the kits mumbled together.

"That's right," Misti said approvingly. Her gaze softened. "There'll be plenty of time for teeth later. For now, you're both restricted to camp."

"But, Mama," Gwyn began, "we tried to fight, and called for help. We weren't even looking for the dog!"

"Yeah," Thorn echoed, tail lashing. "There'll be plenty of dogs I'll kill later. I don't need any teeth yet!"

Misti cuffed them both, snarling slightly. "That's enough! Go on, now. I don't want to see either of you right now."

"Neither do I," Scourge growled, clawing the ground. "Kits of _mine_, causing all this ruckus and trouble. You should both be ashamed. _Very_ ashamed."

Avoiding their father's angry gaze, Gwyn and Thorn slunk away, trying not to be seen.

When Scourge thought they were out of earshot, he turned to his mate.

"They will never be good leaders of Bloodclan! And Bruce is in no way able to lead. That leaves Crow and Venus-"

"Enough!" Misti cried. "They're kits. They'll learn; they'll grow. You can hold anything in kithood for or against them. Give it time."

Crow and Venus returned to camp early, hearing all the fuss. Crow offered to take Thorn around the alleys, and Vixen and Gwyn took up a game of wrestling.

Venus, a sand-colored she-cat with dark marks on her paws, tail, and face, fought viciously. Although her soft kit-paws couldn't do much damage to Gwyn, the slightly smaller she-cat found herself overwhelmed by her older sister.

"Let's play leader!" Vixen cried, standing tall. "I'll be the leader!"

"No fair!" squeaked Gwyn, "I wanna be leader!"

"Do you challenge me?"

"Yeah!" The sisters were once again in combat, this time for leadership. When Venus finally managed to pin Gwyn down, she began yowling orders.

"Kill the dogs!" Gwyn tore a leaf to pieces.

"Clean the trash bins!" Gwyn rubbed against the dumpsters.

"Hunt for food!" Gwyn pounced on a stick and brought it to Vixen. And so the game continued, until Misti retrieved the kits from their various places and brought them back to the dumpster to sleep. She massaged them gently with her tongue in turn, allowing them to nestle against her for warmth. When Scourge finally crawled in to meet his mate, Gwyn was barely awake and already drifting off to sleep.

"Hello, Scourge," Misti said with a purr. Scourge didn't reply, just stared scornfully at Gwyn and Thorn.

"They shamed me today," he said in a low voice. "I am the laughingstock of the clan."

Misti growled softly, touching her claws delicately on his paw. "They aren't the first kits to get chased by a dog, and they won't be the last. No one's laughing, Scourge. They respect you."

Scourge didn't reply, but instead curled up next to his mate. "I suppose you have a point," he said carefully, "but I know that some would like to see me overthrown. I can't appear weak in any way. Tomorrow, and everyday following, I want you to take the kits away and teach them-"

"But they're too young!"

"Nonsense," Scourge scoffed. "They'd just be getting some extra training before they learn it officially. As my kits, they should finish above the others."

Misti said nothing, but curled her tail tighter around the kits. "Scourge, that's crazy. They're just kits. They have to learn things for themselves on their own time. Me teaching them won't help anything."

"Never the less, that's what we'll do." He licked his mate comfortingly, but he spoke with an undertow of menace. "They are shameful kits, and they won't be anymore. If they can't learn to respect and represent me in a positive way, they'll just have to learn. I am ashamed to be their father."

Silently, Misti laid her head down next to Scourge and fell asleep, while Scourge snored next to her. Gwyn, wide awake now, quivered with terror. Stories of Scourge's wrath were told among the adult cats when they thought they weren't listening, but she had always disregarded them. Now, her father seemed more of a threat to her than before, and she vowed to never, ever, shame him in such a way again.

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><p>Thank you for all the kind reviews I have gotten. I try to update as often as I can, but that doesn't always happen ;) This is more of a filler chapter, the next will be more thrilling. Thanks for reading, hugs!<p> 


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